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A study of data from 195 countries from 1990 to 2015 published recently in the medical journal The Lancet, ranks Switzerland’s healthcare system third. The analysis looked at mortality rates from causes that should not be fatal in the presence of effective medical care. It considered both healthcare access and quality and was designed with the aim of normalising for local environmental and behavioural risks. © Spotmatik | Dreamstime.com Researchers looked at mortality rates for 32 different...

Recent figures from Switzerland’s Federal Statistical office show that in 2016 74% of women with children under 15 were working. In 1996, the same percentage was 61%. © Katarzyna Bialasiewicz | Dreamstime.com The percentage of mums working climbs significantly with the level of education. In 2016, 79% of those with tertiary qualifications were working, compared to 61% of mums in the least qualified category. This gap has grown since 1996. Back then 57% of the least qualified mums worked...

20 Minutes. A recent article in the newspaper 20 Minutes highlights the nasty surprise some young people experience when their parents fail to pay their health insurance premiums. © Andrey Popov – Dreamstime.com Turning 18 is one of life’s key milestones. It corresponds with the end of school and entry into a new world. In Switzerland it is also a health insurance milestone. Switzerland’s system of compulsory basic health insurance requires all residents to have a policy covering basic health...

Ahead of the automatic exchange of bank account information, which comes into effect at the beginning of next year, Swiss residents with undeclared foreign bank accounts are rushing to come clean to the tax authorities, according to Swiss broadcaster RTS. © Irakite | Dreamstime.com According to RTS, 380 have come forward in Fribourg, 173 in Valais, 254 in Jura, around 2,000 in Neuchâtel and 4,000 in Geneva. The canton of Vaud did not provide any figures. The head tax inspecter in Fribourg...

It is widely believed that as the price of real estate climbs those on low incomes are forced out of city centres. A study by the University of Geneva, commissioned by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office focused on the period between 2010 and 2014, shows this is not true in Switzerland. Central Zurich – © Andreas Zerndl | Dreamstime.com Rich leaving the centres Those earning the most were the most likely to move and tended to move out of city centres. Among wealthy residents the net flow was...

Researchers at Bern’s University of Applied Sciences have done tests showing that modern petrol cars produce up to 100 times more particulate matter than diesel ones. © Lars Christensen | Dreamstime.com The team has been testing exhaust emissions in a facility in Nidau for three years. The work has involved the collaboration of four organisations. According to a report by Swiss broadcaster SFR, researchers already knew that modern petrol engines were more polluting than diesels, but were...

Tribune de Genève. After more than two years of a highly overvalued franc, relative to the euro, the currency should ease in the near term reckons Thomas Flury, senior currency strategist at UBS. He expects a euro to be worth 1.14 francs in 6 months and 1.16 within a year. © Alys | Dreamstime.com Emmanuel Macron’s victory and Marine Le Pen’s defeat in the second round of France’s presidential election support this trend. However these are not the only forces at work. A number of experts and...

Tribune de Genève. After more than two years of a highly overvalued franc, relative to the euro, the currency should ease in the near term reckons Thomas Flury, senior currency strategist at UBS. He expects a euro to be worth 1.14 francs in 6 months and 1.16 within a year. © Alys | Dreamstime.com Emmanuel Macron’s victory and Marine Le Pen’s defeat in the second round of France’s presidential election support this trend. However these are not the only forces at work. A number of experts and...

A new local currency, dubbed the “Farinet“, was launched recently in the canton of Valais. A similar one called the “Leman” landed in some pockets in Geneva and Lausanne in September 2015. #DYK that the #Swiss canton of Valais has its own currency, the Farinet? Find out more via @TheLocalSwitzer… https://t.co/R7S7ZRZFTm pic.twitter.com/0kKAHD5SRg — Swiss Consulate NY (@SwissCGNY) May 15, 2017 The idea is simple enough. Create a local currency, print bills and get shoppers to use them. The...

20 Minutes. To reduce the outstanding amount owed by taxpayers, Basel’s parliament is discussing imposing income tax at source. Vaud is considering a similar plan. © Kurhan | Dreamstime.com Every year, the canton Basel-City has to chase around 15,000 outstanding tax bills amounting to a total of CHF 80 million. According to the newspaper NZZ, getting employers to deduct tax from salaries before they are paid is one solution currently on the table. The plan would involve employers deducting...